Fence-post socket



JOHN 'nionAnnsON or iONIA, KANSAS.

FENCE-POST'SOCKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 364,042, dated May' 31, 1887.

Application filed January 20,1887. Serial No. 221,910. (No model.) y

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN RICHARDSON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Ionia, in the county of Jewell and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in' Fence-Post Sockets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters orfigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to metallic sockets for fence-posts. l.

The object of the invention is to effect a saving of wood of which fence-posts are constructed and at the same time to prevent the rotting or decay of the wood at the surface of the ground; and to this end the invention consists in the construction and arrangement,

` to be hereinafter fully described, and specifically claimed in the claims at the close of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my improved fence post socket. Fig. 2 is' a vertical section showing the lower end of the post secured withinthe socket. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the post and chamber. Fig. 4 'is a perspective view of the lower end of a/fencepost shaped to be inserted in the socket, Fig. 1, from the side.

post, B, and a spur or anchor, C, extending downwardly from the center of the chamber A. The chamber Acomprises a bottom, A, end walls, Va, and a side wall, a', all permanently united by casting or otherwise, the end and side Walls, a a', either or both,being provided with bolt-holes a, to admitof the insertion of bolts, screws, or nails. 4

Projecting downwardly from the under side of the bottom A is a spur or anchor, (l, of sufficient length, (say eighteen to twenty-four inches,) said anchor being preferably shaped substantially as shown in the drawings-that is to say, the main stem c of the anchor is preferably elliptical in cross-section and tapers toward the bottom, and the side wings, c', are,

The device is composed of a box-like chamber, A, to receive the lower end of a wooden semi-elliptical in cross-section and also taper from top to bottom.v These side wings, c', are about two-thirds the length of the main stein c, and areproportionately narrow at the top, where they join the bottom Aof chamber A, so that said bottom A will overhang the outer edges of said stem and wings c c'. The fencepost socket sov far described is by preference cast all in one piece, though it will be understood that the parts may bemade separately and united by bolts or otherwise.

For use the anchor C is to be driven into the ground its full length, so that the bottom A will rest upon the surface thereof. The fencepost B, having beenp'roperl y dressed to snugly fit the chamber A,is then inserted thereinhits lower end being supported above the ground and the securing bolts or screws D applied.

In some'instances I contemplate closing the open side of the chamber A, after the end of the post B is inserted therein,by a detachable covering-plate, a3, and this plate a3 may be held by the same bolt and nut which are used to secure the postwithin the chamber, or the l opening therein may be tappedso that the covering-plate'will serve the purpose of a nut for the bolt D. I also contemplate forming inward projections a4 on the end walls, a,above4 the bottom A', with which the wood of post B may be caused to lock. rIhis looking action /vmay be attained in various ways-as, for instance, a wedge-shaped spur, A, may be formed integral with the' bottom A and the end of the post be split and spread outward to engage the projections a4 in the act of driving p it into the chamber, or the end of the post may be split before insertion in the chamber and a wedge A be driven or drawn in after such insertion, or the end of the post may be shaped to correspond .with the shape of the chamber and then inserted therein from the side. In

, either case the post can be held securely within 'the chamber by a single screw passing through with, they will be much less liable to rot or dev cay than as though the wood were driven into the ground.

I am aware that it is not new to provide the lower end of a timber fencepost with a detach- `able metallic socket designed to enter the ground; and I am also aware thatit has been proposed to provide the upper end of such a socket with an open-sided chamber to receive the lower end of the post proper; but I am not aware that a post-socket has ever before been provided with a post-chamber having horizontally-arranged shoulders or projections designed to prevent the withdrawal of the post end vertically therefrom, or that a post-chamber has heretofore been provided with such horizontally arranged shoulders designed to -act in conjunction with a wedge arranged at the bottom of the chamber.

I claim-f l 1. The combination of a fence-post socket, substantialiysnch as described, having a cham- In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

4 JOHN RICHARDSON. W`itnesses:

CARL H TLDT, J. W. Dnvoss. 

